$1.6 Million Recovery For Clients Injured In New Orleans Car Accident

Our clients, a married couple and childhood friends of attorneys Todd Greenberg and Jill Stone, were passengers in a Lyft vehicle when they were rear-ended by a pickup truck travelling approximately 90mph in New Orleans in June of 2019. The accident was horrific and caught on videotape. The Lyft driver was not responsible, and the responsible pickup truck had only the $15,000.00 minimum insurance required. Plaintiffs, both California residents, were in New Orleans for a business convention. Plaintiffs were severely injured in this instant, with the female Plaintiff suffering the most serious injuries, including a fractured pelvis, fractured spine, and several fractured ribs. She had to go undergo several surgeries. This case features the importance of two principles: Due diligence by a law firm hired to maximize recovery and underinsured motor vehicle coverage. Underinsured motor vehicle coverage helps pay for the cost and damages resulting from an accident when the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident has liability insurance but does not have enough to cover the full extent of the damages caused by the accident.  In this case, Lyft had an underinsured motor vehicle coverage policy and our clients had a private auto policy and business policy that also provided for underinsurance. But here is where the Due Diligence comes in: Lyft claimed and produced a Certificate of Insurance that it’s underinsured motorist coverage was $250,000.00, barely enough to cover our clients’ pain and suffering. However, we filed a Freedom of Information (F.O.I.L) Claim on the City of New Orleans and discovered that despite Lyft’s Insurer’s Certificate of Insurance in the amount of $250,000.00, Lyft actually filed a Certificate of Insurance showing $1,000,000.00 in coverage! Because of its prior representation, Lyft agreed to provide coverage for $1,000,000.00 instead of $250,000.00. The total recovery was $1.6 million for our clients with Lyft contributing $1 million to the settlement. If you are in an accident, no matter where, the attorneys at Addabbo and Greenberg are here to help. Call us at (718) 268-0400 or visit us at www.Queenslaw.com.